National Biomedical Research Institute

**Our Mission** Welcome to the **National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at UC Davis**, formerly known as the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC). The NBRI at UC Davis serves as an interdisciplinary hub dedicated to advancing research, education, training, and clinical applications in precision medicine. The Institute is embedded within the UC Davis ecosystem, with affiliations across the School of Medicine, the Weill School of Veterinary Medicine, the College of Biological Sciences, the Center for Neuroscience, the Mind Institute, and the Center for Molecular and Genomic Imaging. The Institute leverages state-of-the-art technologies and methodologies to address complex human and animal health challenges. With a focus on integrating new approach methodologies (NAMs) that advance translational science, the Institute will collaborate across basic science, clinical, and computational domains to uncover novel biomarkers, therapeutic targets, and new treatment strategies. As home to one of the seven National Primate Research Centers (NPRCs) supported by the National Institutes of Health, we aim to be a valuable and trusted resource for the greater biomedical research community. Our mission is to help humans and animals live longer, healthier lives through scientific advances and discovery. We support our mission by providing basic and [translational research and scientific expertise.](https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-animal-021419-083813) Our mission is accomplished through four scientific units and diverse core services. Our top-tier research programs focus on current, emerging, and high-priority health. Through our mission, we seek to explore and discover key questions about aging, such as Alzheimer's, neurological functions such as autism, reproductive challenges, environmental challenges, emerging infectious diseases, and others. The research performed at the NBRI has led to new drugs, therapies, and surgical procedures that benefit human and animal quality of life. As an organized research unit at UC Davis, we are uniquely positioned to leverage the expertise of our top-ranked School of Veterinary Medicine and School of Medicine. For more than 60 years, we've served as a trusted research resource and have collaborated with investigators on local, regional, and national levels. ****Our History**** The California National Primate Research Center began in 1962 as the National Center for Primate Biology. The National Institutes of Health developed this primate center to serve primarily as a breeding colony of healthy animals for research. The Center addressed conditions for housing and associated husbandry to ensure the healthiest of environments for the animals. Early in its history, the Center significantly advanced the quality of nonhuman primate research and nonhuman primate care. In 1972, the National Center for Primate Biology increased its collaboration with the Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, as well as other UC Davis schools and colleges. In 2002, it was renamed the California National Primate Research Center (CNPRC) to focus on the role it plays in providing resources on a national level for human health-related research. In 2026, the name was changed to the National Biomedical Research Institute (NBRI) at UC Davis to better reflect the breadth and impact of the research conducted. **Our Mission** The National Biomedical Research Institute supports scientific discovery to improve human and animal health through education, innovation, and responsible research. Our mission is to help humans and animals live longer, healthier lives through scientific advances and discovery. We support our mission by providing basic and translational research and scientific expertise to investigators and industry. Our mission is accomplished through four scientific units and a diverse array of core services. **Our Commitment to Research** For over 60 years, NBRI scientists have collaborated with investigators to research, discover, and develop new therapies. An important aspect of our mission is to serve as a national resource for interdisciplinary biomedical research by facilitating and providing access to nonhuman primate models and a wide array of research services. Our long-standing commitment to the core values of animal welfare, biosecurity, research rigor, the 3Rs, and new approach methodologies (NAMs) uniquely positions us to support the scientific community's research needs.